Judson Lemar Falls, 34, of North Preston appeared on charges of being an accessory after the fact.

The four adults have been remanded until Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m. for the next hearing.

A 17-year-old male from Eastern Passage, whose name is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in Halifax youth court on charges of accessory after the fact related to the homicide and was remanded to the Waterville facility until Oct. 3, when he’ll return for a bail hearing.

Arrests more than a month in the making

McInnis’s body was found in a stolen black Honda Civic in the St. Thomas Baptist Church Cemetery on Aug. 23.

This Tuesday at about 6:30 a.m., police executed a search warrant at 156 Silistria Drive in Cole Harbour, where three men were arrested without incident.

A fourth man was arrested at a home on Willis Lane in North Preston. And a short time later, the fifth male youth was arrested at a Cole Harbour school.

As court proceedings finished and people flooded out of the packed courtroom, one person yelled, “They can rot in hell,” in reference to the accused.

Crown wants men in custody

Family members declined to answer questions but gathered in a circle in the courthouse lobby and spoke to Crown prosecutor Melanie Perry about what had happened.

She shared some details in a scrum after the proceedings.

“We had four suspects come in charged with multiple offences and they waived reading of those charges,” she said.

“The disclosure right now — you can imagine in these cases it’s huge — over the next few weeks they'll be receiving packages of things.”

All of the men will have to seek bail in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia but the Crown is opposing the release of all four.

“They’re extremely serious charges and we don’t believe these people should be released into the community,” said Perry. “It’s a public safety thing and we're attempting to hold them.”

Lawyer Patrick MacEwan appeared for Nicco Alexander Smith, and applications for legal aid were an option for the other three.

Falls is charged with accessory after the fact and unlawful confinement.

Cops decline to outline investigation

At a press conference at Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street, RCMP Insp. Trudy Banglor with the RCMP discussed the arrests.

She said they couldn’t comment on whether or not the murder was related to organized crime, and said she believed the three men located at the home on Silistria are the ones charged with first-degree murder.

“We are very happy with the success of what today brought,” she said.

She couldn’t say whether McInnis was murdered elsewhere or at the cemetery where he was found, nor could she specify his cause of death.

Banglor also remained tight-lipped about whether the case had anything to do with the recent murder of Naricho Clayton on Gottingen Street.

“We continue to investigate all the other unsolved homicides. We know there are people out there with information, and anything that comes to us, we will investigate,” she said.

“We don’t rule out anything. We are investigating all avenues.”

She did say McInnis’ death it was not a random act.

“They knew each other,” she said. Asked to clarify, she said some of the accused knew McInnis, but she wouldn’t elaborate further.

She also declined to say if the Downeys who’ve been charged were related, and whether or not the attempted murder charge against Downey was related to a previous attempt on McInnis’ life.

Banglor said the investigation is ongoing.

McInnis' partner 'happy this day has come'

McInnis’ partner, Tyelisha Voeltz, wrote to the Chronicle Herald Wednesday to express her feelings after the court appearances.

“I’m happy this day has come, considering all the unsolved murders over the years, including my brother, the late Tyrone Oliver,” she wrote.

Oliver, 20, died in hospital on July 30, 2000, after being shot multiple times on a Creighton Street basketball court. Police also attended two stabbings and an assault in the area at the time, and believe the incidents are related.

The authorities asked for help with that case on its 15th anniversary in 2015, and it is part of the Department of Justice’s Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes program.

After the tragedies Voeltz has experienced, she looked on solemnly in the courtroom gallery on Wednesday as the men faced the judge.

And she didn’t mince words when she spoke about the accused, and the way she felt in court.

“I look at them like they’re cold-blooded animals with no value of life, unlike Tylor. He devoted his whole world to his family, and to his children especially,” she wrote in a private Facebook message.

“I’ve gotten the utmost support from my family, my friends and other people in the community. I just hope that justice is served for Tylor.”